Best state secondaries for bright girls, anywhere near Cambridge

[Habanera]

Hi
DH is looking at a job in central Cambridge. We have DDs going into Y6 and 9 who are both very academic and ambitious, but quiet and susceptible to being even quieter when sadly picked on at times, called geek or weirdo. So they hide their light at school somewhat!

I'd love a fresh start - I know the schools are full but I guess on the plus side we can target the best few villages/areas, choose one, DH can rent, and move them out of their current schools as places come up. Also could home educate in a pinch for a while, we did that to get into primary and it worked.

So far Swavesey and Linton seem especially nice. Any other great ones I'm missing? Comberton seems a bit unknown with the new build and school opening nearby.

I would recommend impington, comberton or swavesey. Parkside is great for high achieving kids but catchment is tiny. I have worked in all these at one time or another!

I always get a bit twitchy on Local threads because the chances are that any given teacher will have taught at least one of my offspring at some point...

Just going to add to this thread to offer the OP a couple of Sawston VC films which might either enthuse your girls or send them shrieking in horror from the room.

First up is what DS describes as 'the world's cheesiest film', from which I assume he isn't in it (though it looks like half the school are).

Second is worth scrolling down to zombie movie www.sawstoncinema.org.uk/?page_id=654 if you like a chance to assess a headteacher's disciplinary policy. Why give detentions when you could offer students a lingering, painful undead experience instead?

DD (somewhat shy, hardworking) reckons that pupils arrive at SVC relatively normal but gradually go bonkers as they settle in.

Incidentally, most of the kids think 'ASPIRE' is also the world's cheesiest school slogan, but don't seem to hold it against the school too much. When the library burnt down last year (now that was an exciting start to the term) they rechristened it 'ASH-PYRE' instead.

Sorry, linky failure:
zombie school

Brilliant film, tingalingle, much better than anything CVC has ever produced. OP, if your DDs are into making films/being creative, then it looks like Sawston might be the way to go.

OTOH, acccording to Mr "I'm taking over the world" Munday, head of CVC, Comberton was yesterday named as one of the top 9 state schools in the country based on pupil intake and attainment. www.combertonvc.org/pdfs/wsl_130916.pdf
I'd still advise you to go and look round all of them. Let us know how you get on.

A friend of mine's daughter hated Comberton - too big. Odd uniform too.

Cowardy it is, isn't it? Very square sweatshirts. You could fit two of DS in his one it looks like a smock top on him.

Cambourne's uniform looks to be the same but with blue bits.